Today -100: October 29, 1917: Of peace mandates, caporetti, and fraternization

Socialist candidate for NYC mayor Morris Hillquit says his victory would be a mandate for peace.

German and Austrian troops push into northern Italy (the Battle of Caporetto). Some units of the Italian army surrender without a fight, as was the custom. The official report calls them cowards, although the Germans were using poison gas and Italian soldiers were given woefully inadequate gas masks. On the German side, a Lt. Erwin Rommel did especially well.

Vittorio Orlando will form a new Italian government.

Russian artillery is turned on Russian soldiers fraternizing with the German enemy.

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